Football Falls to Howard in Harmony Classic on Saturday
Blue Devils finish the season next week at St. Francis U
Howard University scored 21 unanswered second half points and topped the Central Connecticut football team 28-25 on Saturday afternoon in the NAACP Harmony Classic at Arute Field in New Britain. The Bison improve to 4-7 overall with the win. The Blue Devils are 2-9 overall with the loss.
The Blue Devils will complete the 2014 season on the road next Saturday at St. Francis U. Game time is 12 p.m.
Howard struck first on its opening drive of the game, moving 78 yards on 11 plays, taking 3:53 off the clock, to take a 7-0 lead. Greg McGhee hit Stewart Hartman from 17-yards out for the score and the early lead.
The Blue Devils answered and needed only one play to answer the Howard score. SanGiacomo hit classmate Rob Hollomon with a screen pass that went for 71 yards and the score. The touchdown pass was the eighth of the season for SanGiacomo and also the eighth touchdown for Hollomon. The point after was no good and Howard led 7-6.
The Blue Devils took a 9-7 lead with just over a minute left in the first quarter. Sophomore Ed Groth kicked a 19-yard field goal for the Blue Devils to give them their first lead of the game. During the drive Hollomon posted a 70-yard rush, moving him over 1,000 rushing yards for the season. He is the first player in school history to rush for over 1,000 yards in three different seasons.
Howard looked to take a lead in the second quarter by senior Chris Abner blocked the Bison field goal attempt to help preserve the 9-7 edge for CCSU with just over 10 minutes to play before halftime. Groth helped the Blue Devils take advantage of the blocked field goal and kicked his second field goal of the game, this time from 24-yards out, to push the CCSU lead to 12-7 with 7:30 left before halftime.
Central took a 19-7 lead at halftime after a 17-yard scoring pass from SanGiacomo to junior Brennden Cullen, the first of the season for Cullen. The play capped a nine-play drive that went 77 yards and took just 2:22. It was the second touchdown pass of the game for SanGiacomo.
The Blue Devils built the lead to 25-7 on a scoring pass SanGiacomo to classmate Tyrell Holmes. The point after was no good and the Blue Devil lead was 18. The four-yard scoring play capped a 10-play, 75-yard drive that took 4:52 off the block. It was the third scoring pass for SanGiacomo on the afternoon.
Howard answered and cut the lead to 25-14 with 4:03 left in the third quarter. McGhee ran it in from two yards out to cap a 40-yard drive that came following a CCSU fumble. McGhee's second scoring run of the game, early in the fourth quarter, cut the Blue Devil lead to 25-20. The two point conversion attempt was no good for the Bison.
McGhee's third rushing touchdown of the game, this time from seven yards out, gave Howard a 28-25 lead with 10:27 left in the fourth quarter. The score was the third straight for the Bison, all by McGhee, and helped erase an 18-point deficit. The two point conversion was good for the three point lead for Howard.
SanGiacomo finished the game 20-of-28 for 279 yards and three touchdowns. Hollomon had 109 receiving yards and 124 yards rushing and accounted for one touchdown.
Abner finished the game with a career-high 18 tackles for the Blue Devils.
The Blue Devils finish the 2014 season next week on the road at St. Francis University. Game time is 12 p.m.
